Mail Bonding

P-I STAFF

Published 10:00 pm, Thursday, February 9, 2006

"Operation Slapshot" a waste of resources

As a former probation officer, I say we are losing the war on crime. One reason for that defeat is that law enforcement continues to waste scarce resources on fool's errands like "Operation Slapshot" ("Tocchet gambling exposed after tip" in Thursday's P-I).

Every hour of investigation and every tax dollar expended on nonviolent offenders is that much time and money spent not fighting theft, fraud, assault and murder. How many violent criminals are let out of prison early, or are never caught in the first place, because the system of justice is filled to bursting with millions of peaceful adults whose only "crime" is to smoke pot, or to pay for sex, or to wager on sports?